The Power of the Pen
by Lilybookworm13
Summary: Eiley Aston was a writer, a free spirit, a sweet town girl. No one could have expected her to fall in love with a boy from the Seam. And no one expected her to stand by him once he entered the second quarter quell. They thought she'd drop him and move on. But their love would last until her dying day.
1. Chapter 1

She called herself a writer. She had the power of words - spoken and written. From the day she learned how to write she wrote. At first it was in a childish hand, with a few words saying something along the lines of 'tea tonite was ham', but as she grew she expanded her knowledge. Each evening she wrote pages in a near copperplate, line after line on her thoughts about life.

This is where we will first meet Eiley Aston. It was a dark evening and most people in the District were in bed, asleep, ready for the following day, but in the back room above the apothecary a dark haired girl sat at a desk, scribbling away. The noise of the peacekeepers outside didn't bother her, she was too absorbed in her writing. She didn't even notice her bedroom door creak open and a small figure slipped in, looking like a ghost.

" Lee." The ghostly girl moved forward, knowing she couldn't touch Eiley when she was written. " Lee?" She walked past the chair and climbed under the covers of the small bed. It was then the older girl looked up and removed her glasses. She smiled and put her pencil down, before she stood up and walked to her bed.

" Look at me, I'm not even changed yet," she said, with a smile.

" I couldn't sleep," the little girl said.

" Tomorrow?" The girl nodded as Eiley pulled her nightdress from under her pillow. She changed quickly and climbed into bed beside her sister.

" You won't be be picked Lori. You only have one slip out of thousands," Eiley whispered, pushing her sister's blonde hair behind her ear.

" But you don't," Lori whispered.

" I only have five. We'll be fine. You just have to trust me," Eiley said, though she had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, like something was about to happen.

* * *

><p><p>

By morning the small bed held four people, having gained the twins around five am. Eiley had been pushed to the side of the bed and she was an inch from falling off, so she quietly got up, trying not to wake anyone. In silence she pulled a skirt and jumper from a drawer and them she slipped out of the room. She dressed in the kitchen beside the warmth of the fire, that had been recently been lit. When she was dressed she walked into the front room and smiled.

" Morning Papa." She kissed her father's cheek before sitting on the ground beside him.

" You're up early," he said, smiling at his eldest daughter.

" I'm meeting the twins, but I think it's still a bit early," Eiley replied.

" You're probably right," Mr Aston said. Her father was a quiet and man, who was wrapped around his daughters' little fingers.

" What are you making?" She asked.

" A cure for cancer," he said, jokingly. She smiled and waited for his real answer. " The youngest Everdeen boy has a cough that won't go away." Eiley nodded, her father would do anything for the people from the Seam, and he usually gave them remedies for a little less as they couldn't always afford it.

" The youngest... Which one's that? Billy or Jack?" She asked, there were so many of them it was easy to get confused.

" Billy," her father replied. " Are the others still asleep?"

" Lying in my bed," Eiley answered, " I suppose you could say I got kicked out."

" Don't worry about it," Mr Aston said.

" I'm not worried for myself. I'm worried for everyone else: Lori, Rosa, James, the twins..." She trailed off.

" That doesn't surprise me," her father said.

" Have you had breakfast?" Eiley asked. He shook his head. " Would you like some?" She stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

" What would I do without you Eiley?" He asked.

" Starve," she laughed, closing the kitchen door. " Probably what the witch wants." The witch was her stepmother and the weasel was her stepsister. Her mother died four years ago and two years after her father decided to remarry. She seemed perfectly nice at first, it was only after the wedding that they saw her true colours.

Eiley put some bacon on the pan and searched the cupboard for some bread. She heard the kitchen door open and close and she looked up to see Madlyn take off her coat.

" I got some bread," she said.

" What did you do with the loaf I bought last night?" Eiley asked.

" I think the dog ate it," she replied.

" Put the bread on the table," Eiley sighed. She getting extremely fed up with this. Every morning the bread she had bought was gone and Madlyn came in with a fresh loaf from the bakery. She wanted to know why. Madlyn didn't do anything she refused to cook or clean yet she voluntarily went to the bakery at six in the morning.

Soon the smell of cooked bacon drifted through the house and the kitchen was full of Astons. On each plate Eiley had put two slices of bacon and a slice of toast, as well as a glass of semi-fresh milk.

They ate in silence, just like every other family in the District that morning. They were consumed by their thoughts of death. They had watched two children be slaughtered every year and this year four were going, there was even more of a chance of dying. The Aston children were lucky they only had the required number of slips each but they knew some of their friends weren't as lucky.

Eiley left the house as soon as she ate and met the twins on the outskirts of the town. As usual they were dressed the same, and Eiley prided herself on being able to tell them apart. It was easy to her, Maysilee was paler and her blonde hair was straighter than Mari's. And Mari's eyes had a little grey mixed in with the blue.

" Morning," Eiley said, pulling her sleeves down around her hands, there was a chill in the air which wasn't helped by the fact that the sun was refusing to peek out from behind a large rain cloud.

" Hi," Mari said.

" Will we go?" May asked. Eiley nodded and the trio set off along the dusty road towards the green meadow that lay at the edge of the district.


	2. Chapter 2

Haymitch Abernathy walked towards the meadow, he knew she'd be there. It was her favourite place in the District and his too. From far away he could make out the shape of the three girls sitting in the long grass. A blonde head on either side of the brown one. He could hear their laughter as he moved closer. Eiley was an expert at joking around - even on Reaping day. The day they needed a laugh, she said. She stood up when she saw him and ran through the brown grass. Reaching him she slowed down and wrapped her arms around him.

" Did you know that if you win the Hunger Games you don't have to go back to school? That's be great, no one would shout at me!" She said, and he smiled. Eiley's cheerful nature was extremely infectious, you could hold a conversation with her without smiling.

" But the teachers might go sane without us driving them mad," he said, smiling at her.

The public school of 12 had learnt to fear the team of Aston and Abernathy years ago, the duo hasn't been in the same class in four years even though they asked every year. No teacher could handle both of them together, the last had a mental breakdown with Eiley's constant remarks disagreeing on everything that was taught, and Haymitch who did the bare minimum of work and never passed a test, even though he was clearly a bright lad.

Causing trouble in school was how they first met, outside the principal's office waiting on their parents. Both had been suspended, it was some feat for two eight year olds. Eiley had called her teacher an idiot who believed in the Capitol propaganda and promptly told the class how they were living in a world of forced oppression and it wasn't like that in the other countries that remained.

Haymitch had just refused to do his homework, every day for three weeks.

* * *

><p>The boy lay on the ground with his feet propped up on the chair, where he was supposed to be sitting.<p>

" I didn't do anything wrong!" He turned his head to see a girl arguing with the principal's secretary.

" Miss Aston please take a seat. Your father is on his way," she said, before she went back to sorting through papers and the girl stormed over to a seat. She sat down and let her feet swing an inch from the floor.

" You're Haymitch right? Why are you on the floor?" She stared down at him with dark blue eyes. He recognised the girl now, she was from the town but she was one of the nice ones. She was the one who talked too much, at least that's what he had been told.

" Didn't want to sit down," he replied.

" They aren't very comfortable, are they? I'm Eiley. Why are you here? I told off old Jakes again. He's ready to move me into the other class. All I said was that he was teaching history wrong because he was missing the times when we beat the Capitol during the Dark Days. They don't want us to know about that stuff in case we get any ideas and become revolutionaries..."

" Miss Aston I told you to sit quietly," the secretary shouted. Eiley rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair.

" Mr Simmons said I was an annoying Seam brat who couldn't read. I haven't done my homework in a month and I don't work in class," Haymitch said. Eiley looked at his dust cover boots on top of the wooden seat.

" If you need help I'll help you. I help my brother and sisters all the time," Eiley offered, she was always up for making new friends.

" I don't want your pity," he mumbled, looking away from her.

" I'm not offering pity. I'm offering friendship," she replied. She crossed her arms and started down at him.

" Eiley." The girl looked up to see her mother in front of her. " You really can't hold your tongue can you?"

" It's not my fault Mama. I have opinions," she said, and her mother laughed.

" I'm aware of that."

* * *

><p>It was the beginning of a perfect friendship, and by the time they had turned fifteen they both knew that they were more than friends.<p>

They walked beside the electric fence, it was on, it was always on on Reaping Day.

" How many slips do you have?" Eiley asked.

" About thirty," Haymitch answered, her grip of his hand tightened as he spoke. " I'll be fine, don't worry."

" I don't know what I'd do if you were picked," she said, looking into his bright grey eyes.

" Whatever you do, don't volunteer. It's something you'd do," he laughed.

" That's the same for you. If you died I wouldn't be able to go on," she said, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head into his shoulder. He always smelt of coal dust due to the mines, and mint because Mrs Abernathy used it to get the smell of the coal from their house.

Haymitch put one hand on her back and used the other to lift her face.

" We'll be fine," he said, before kissing her.

" Lee." Little Lori ran down the dirt track looking for her sister. When she spotted her she shouted again and ran a little faster.

On hearing her name Eiley jumped away from her boyfriend and fixed herself, hoping that all signs of their previous activity were gone. As her sister halted in front of her she smiled.

" Papa wants you to take these to the Everdeens then get back home to get ready," Lori said, her cheeks red from running.

" Ok, do you want to come?" Eiley asked. Lori nodded and Eiley smiled. She turned to Haymitch and kissed his cheek. " I'll see you later." Lori giggled and Eiley raised an eyebrow before they set off leaving the dark haired boy alone. While he watched them he put his hand in his pocket to make sure it was still there. She'd love it, he couldn't wait to give it to her.


	3. Chapter 3

The Everdeen house was small but lived in. There were eight of them between the ages of six and sixteen. Mr Everdeen died a few years ago due to consumption, but the family were managing to survive.

Usually it was noisy with everyone running around, today it was the opposite. When Eiley and Lori entered they were all sitting around the small sofa which held their mother and youngest brother.

" Morning," Eiley said, she took the bag from Lori and walked to the front of the couch. " Papa sent something for Billy's cough. Do you want me to make it?"

" Oh no pet, you sit down and relax. You too Lori," Mrs Everdeen said. The girls nodded and Eiley took out two small boxes.

" Silver maple and sugar maple. One should stop the cough and the other should soothe his throat. Just put them in a tea," Eiley said. Mrs Everdeen took the boxes and walked over to the stove. Eiley and Lori sat on the ground with the Everdeens. For a talkative family none were in the mood for talking. Eiley knew why, it had been three years. Three years ago when Eva was reaped.

" How are you feeling Lori?" Callum asked, he was fifteen and was closest to Eva. It had hurt him the most but he had learnt to hide it.

" Ok," she said quietly.

" Everyone feels the same before their first reaping. You don't have anything to worry about," he said.

" That's what Lee said," Lori said.

" You know I'd never let you go in there," Eiley said. She was being honest, she would volunteer in a second if it meant saving her baby sister.

* * *

><p><p>

Eiley looked at herself in the hall mirror, she was wearing her dress from last year, it was long and light blue. She hated wearing it because of what it signified.

" Ready." Lori and Rosa stepped out of their bedroom and Eiley smiled at them.

" I really do feel like the ugly duckling in this family," Eiley said, crouching down in front of her sisters to fix their dresses. Both of them looked like china dolls, with their pale skin, golden hair and large blue eyes.

" But you're pretty Eiley," Rosa said.

" Hardly. I've always wanted hair like yours but it didn't happen," Eiley said, smoothing Rosa's dress. " I think we're ready." She stood up and the three walked downstairs to the living room. Their father, brother and stepmother were sitting there. Madlyn came down twenty minutes after them, looking like she was going to a party. She felt she had to look her best in case she was caught on camera.

The family walked to the square in silence with the thousands of others who lived in the district. As they went to sign in Lori gripped Eiley's hand.

" They have to prick your finger, it might hurt but you won't bleed to death," Eiley said, and a smile flitted over Lori's face.

" There's so many people Lee," she whispered, they were in the middle of a crowd of teenagers, most were hanging on to a friend or sibling. For four people it would be the last time they would have to do this.

" When you go in go to your area and find Hazelle and Mollie. I'll come and get you when it's over," Eiley said. She let go of her sister's hand and moved her towards the peacekeeper.

Lori gingerly put her hand out and they grabbed her wrist. She watched them put something on her finger and pull it away, leaving a small red patch. She winced and sucked at her finger as she moved on. She looked back hoping to see Eiley again but her sister was lost in the crowd. She made her way to the front of the square and saw her friends there. No one speaking and Mollie looked like she was going to be sick.

Eiley stood on her toes looking through the crowd for her sisters and brother. Once she saw them safely in their area she walked to the area for sixteen year olds. She stood beside the twins, near the rope. She could see Haymitch at the other side, he was staring forward, acting brave and not bothered about what was about to happen.

Eiley didn't listen to the video or to the mayor's speech, she was too busy looking for her friends and family. She saw the older Everdeen children, David and Rowan Hawthorne and Ryan Mellark. They were all friends of her siblings. Eiley's friends were beside her or taken by the games. She couldn't believe it had been three years since Eva had last came running up to her with a new joke to tell.

" And as always ladies first," their escort Trixa Rells walked up to the large bowl on the right of the stage.

" Kara Welsh." A small girl stepped from the thirteen section and used the rope to direct herself towards the stage. Eiley gasped. She was blind. She had no hope.

" And Maysilee Donner." Time stopped for a moment as Eiley processed what had been said. There was a scream, she didn't know if it was her or the twins. It was her and Mari. Mari was on her knees as Maysilee walked to her death as if in a trance.

Eiley sat on the ground and let her friend cry on to her shoulder as she held back her own tears. The two didn't hear the names of either boy but Eiley heard the whispered of her name and looked up, and all the tears came out. He saw his back as he walked up the stone steps.

" No. No. Haymitch. No." She sobbed on to her friend's shoulder. The two sat there in floods of tears, as everyone stared at them. No one knew what to say or do, so when it ended everyone just left them there.

" We... We should... Should go see them," Eiley whispered, sitting back on her knees and wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. Mari nodded slightly and Eiley helped her up. The two clung on to each other as they walked through the empty square to the doors of the Justice Building.

They had a sense of déjà vu as the scene from there years ago threatened to replay itself.


End file.
